Scottie Barnes and the Raptors face Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers on Thursday night (7:00 p.m. ET, Sportsnet). Both teams will be playing the tail end of tough back-to-backs, with Toronto fresh from a tough road test against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden and the Cavs coming off a difficult home game against the Thunder.
The Sporting News has you covered with the NBA odds for this Eastern Conference clash, as well as some best bets and top props from the BetMGM online sportsbook.
MORE: NBA betting, explained: Guide to odds, types of bets, more
Despite RJ Barrett’s return from an illness that cost him three games, the Raptors continue to struggle. They have lost 14 of their past 15 games, many of which were by over 20 points. The calendar year appeared to start well, with Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley active again, but things have taken another bad turn since New Year’s.
The Cavs, meanwhile, just beat the Thunder to make it 11 wins in a row and 15 victories in their past 16 contests dating back to Dec. 1. Without a doubt, they have established themselves as one of the most elite teams in the Association under Kenny Atkinson.
Let’s get to the odds for this conference clash, and then unveil some best bets, top props, and our final score prediction.
Raptors vs. Cavaliers odds, pick against spread
All odds and props are from BetMGM, an authorized gaming operator of the NBA.
- ATS: Cavaliers -16.5 (-110) | Raptors +16.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Cavs -1400 | Raptors +800
- Over/under: O 235.5 (-110) | U 235.5 (-110)
After not even sniffing the +7.5 cover against the Bucks at home on Monday, the Raptors then lost by 14 to the Knicks as double-digit underdogs on Wednesday. They remain big underdogs Thursday in Cleveland, where the Cavs have an NBA-best 19-1 home record and a solid 14-6 record against the spread.
Raptors vs. Cavs best bets and final score prediction
This game is very much a tale of two teams, with Toronto falling on hard times and Cleveland clicking on all cylinders. The Cavs will be coming off one of their best home tests all season with a battle against the mighty OKC Thunder, while the Raps could be coming in tired one night after tussling with the Knicks in New York.
It’s simply incredible to see how well the Cavaliers have gelled in Atkinson’s first year in Cleveland. Donovan Mitchell remains as explosive as ever, Darius Garland has once again returned to All-Star form, and nobody can seem to figure out the big-man combo of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
We understand why Raptors fans and stat-driven bettors might be intrigued by Toronto getting nearly 17 points — Toronto still had one of the best cover rates in the NBA at the start of this week. However, you have to ask “what was this Raptors team done for me lately?”
The Raps have covered just one of their past eight spreads, and their losses heading into mid-week were by an average of 26.4 points during that stretch. Stay smart and continue to fade Toronto as this wicked stretch continues for Darko Rajakovic’s team.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Cavaliers 127, Raptors 102 — The Cavs win and cover, while the total goes UNDER the projected total of 232.5.
Raptors vs. Cavs top player prop bet
Donovan Mitchell UNDER 22.5 points (-110)
Mitchell dropped a cool 26 points in 34 minutes against the Raptors last month, and he scored an effortless 21 in the Cavs’ season-opener against Toronto back in October. The season-opener was a 30-point Cleveland win, so Spida only played a little over 27 minutes.
This game should be a similar blowout, with the reeling Raptors not even on the same stratosphere as Atkinson’s squad. Don’t expect Mitchell to play more than 26-28 minutes in this tail-end of a back-to-back, which means it’s under bettors’ time to shine.
Mitchell averaged 12.5 PPG in wins over Toronto last season, and we doubt he even puts up 20 in what should be an easy Thursday-night victory. He stunk up the joint in the Cavs’ win over OKC — perhaps the only ugly part of an otherwise pristine victory — so we’re fading Spida big time.